Mentor Karin Livingstone’s Travel Counsellors journey

Growing your own business while helping others grow: Karin Livingstone’s Travel Counsellors journey

For Karin Livingstone, being a Travel Counsellor is about more than building a successful travel business. It is also about being part of a community where people share their experiences, support one another, and help each other grow.

Having experienced the early days of building a business herself, Karin knows how valuable it can be to have someone you trust to turn to. Today, she uses that experience to mentor other Travel Counsellors, helping them navigate challenges, build confidence, and make decisions that move their businesses forward.

“When I first started as a Travel Counsellor, I remember how difficult it felt to ask for help, even though the support was always there. Having a mentor gives someone a trusted person they can turn to for guidance, reassurance and practical advice,” she says.

Turning experience into support for others

As an experienced Travel Counsellor and business owner, Karin understands that running your own business comes with moments when you need a second opinion or simply someone who understands what you are dealing with. For her, mentoring is not about providing all the answers. It is about helping people develop the confidence and knowledge to find their own way forward.

“Sometimes it’s about finding the answer, and other times it’s simply about pointing someone in the right direction. My goal is to give my mentees the confidence to make informed decisions so they can focus on growing their business rather than spending valuable time searching for answers.”

It is an approach that reflects the wider Travel Counsellors community, where business owners can run their businesses independently while still having people around them to turn to support. Karin believes that willingness to help one another has an impact far beyond the individual Travel Counsellor.

“By supporting one another, we strengthen not only individual businesses but also the Travel Counsellors brand. When our colleagues succeed, our entire community becomes stronger, and that benefits everyone, especially our customers,” she says.

Helping someone find a way forward

One mentoring experience in particular showed Karin just how much difference the right support at the right time can make. One of her mentees discovered a significant error on a Mauritius holiday package and, understandably, felt overwhelmed by the situation. Rather than immediately stepping in with the solution, Karin encouraged her to think through what she could do next and find a solution first. They then worked through the additional options together.

The Travel Counsellor was able to rectify the booking and, importantly, retain her client’s trust. What could have become a very difficult customer experience ultimately strengthened the relationship.

“Today, that client is one of her loyal repeat customers because they were so impressed with the professionalism, honesty and care she showed while resolving the issue.”

For Karin, the most rewarding part was seeing that the experience grew the mentee's confidence.

Leadership is about sharing what you know

Karin’s approach to mentoring also reflects what she believes good leadership should look like.

“A great leader leads by example, is approachable and willing to share their knowledge with others,” she says.

She also believes there is no single way to support every person. People learn, work, and build their businesses differently, which means good leaders need to listen and adapt. That willingness to keep learning has been important throughout Karin’s own career, and it is something she encourages in anyone starting out in travel today.

Creating value clients can’t find anywhere else

Karin’s advice to women entering the travel industry is simple: stay curious, keep developing your skills and never stop thinking about the value you can bring to your clients. Be open to learning something new every day, embrace change, and keep up with technology and social media as the travel industry is ever changing. But while technology and the way people research travel may continue to change, Karin believes the human side of travel remains incredibly important.

“Clients can find prices anywhere, but what they can’t always find is genuine expertise, personal service and someone who creates unforgettable experiences.”

It is a philosophy that sits at the heart of how Karin approaches both her own customers and the Travel Counsellors she mentors.

Her final piece of advice captures it perfectly: “Don’t just sell a holiday, create memories that your clients will treasure for a lifetime.”

For Karin, growing a successful travel business and helping others succeed are not separate ambitions. They go hand in hand. By sharing what she has learnt, encouraging others through difficult moments and helping fellow Travel Counsellors build confidence in their own abilities, she is contributing to a community where independent business owners can grow their businesses without having to do it alone.